In the context of integrating various functionalities into motor vehicles, it has become necessary to reliably detect the addition of fuel to vehicle fuel tanks.
Now, the devices hitherto used are not absolutely reliable because they use the vehicle ignition signal to trigger the measuring of the fuel level in the fuel tank.
The object of the invention is therefore to solve these problems by providing such a device.
To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for detecting the addition of fuel to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises:
means for detecting whether or not the vehicle engine is running,
means for detecting whether or not a fuel filler cap is fitted, closing the vehicle fuel tank,
means for measuring the speed of the vehicle,
means for measuring the level of fuel in the fuel tank, these means being designed to take a first reading of the level when the engine is cut or when the fuel filler cap is removed and the vehicle speed is zero and the vehicle engine is running and a second reading when the vehicle engine is started up or when the fuel filler cap is fitted when the vehicle speed is zero and the vehicle engine is running, and
means for detecting any addition of fuel to the vehicle fuel tank, from the first and second readings taken.